The Ecuadorian authorities have held a fishing boat and jailed its crew of 20 after 300 tons of illegal sharks were found aboard the vessel.
According to Dive Photo Guide, the ship which had been illegally fishing in the Galapagos archipelago was caught with its holds full of shark carcasses with their fins cut off, to supply the Asian market.
The ship was intercepted on August 13, after a piece of good fortune, when a drone that was being used to patrol the waters around the Galapagos tracked the ship, which was suspected of illegal fishing. The haul of dead sharks was one of the largest and even left most of the arresting officer shocked due to its size.
The haul included many endangered species like scalloped Hammerheads and Silky sharks, and sadly experts believe that despite the enormous haul this won’t even dent the illegal fishing activities around the Galapagos. With little resources available for enforcement and enormous profits to be made by poachers, the illegal fishing is bound to continue.
The fishermen this week were sentenced to up to four years in jail, according to Reuters.
You can check out the original Dive Photo Guide post here, or watch the news clip below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOdGMYp4k3k